


Dive

by CarlyMalfoy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, HP: Epilogue Compliant, Happy Ending, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Spoilers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-04 15:46:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10282430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarlyMalfoy/pseuds/CarlyMalfoy
Summary: The transition from friends to more is never a smooth one.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So I was listening to the song Dive from Ed Sheeran's new album and the lyrics "Don't call me baby unless you mean it, and don't tell me you need me if you don't believe it" got me thinking about Scorbus and how they might have gotten together.
> 
> Comments & kudos are greatly appreciated.

As Albus snuck into a train carriage behind three small first years, hidden by his dad’s old invisibility cloak that he had begged James to borrow, he wondered how his life had come to be such a disaster. Not only was he making the journey home for Christmas without Scorpius for the first time ever, he had even resorted to _hiding_ from the boy who had been his best friend for the past five years.

It had all started the night before, when the Slytherins in years five through seven had thrown an early Christmas party in the common room after all the younger students had gone to bed. Everyone had been in high spirits for various reasons; December exams were over, there would be no more classes until January, Christmas was just around the corner, and best of all some of the seventh years had managed to get their hands on a generous amount of firewhiskey to spike the punch bowl with.

Thinking back on the evening, Albus didn’t think he had ever laughed so much in his life as he had then. He had felt open and at ease as he and Scorpius sat on the common room floor drinking deeply from big plastic cups, chatting and making plans for the Christmas holidays. Although they weren’t exactly socialising with any of their housemates, the atmosphere towards them was decidedly less hostile than it had been in previous years. Since news about Delphi had spread, the rumours about Scorpius’ heritage had come to a halt and new ones about the boys having a hand in stopping her from bring Voldemort back to power had begun to circulate instead. So, while no one was lining up to be their friend they weren’t being antagonised anymore.

Around three o’clock in the morning Scorpius stood and stretched exaggeratedly.

“Well Albus,” he said, slurring slightly, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol he’d consumed. “I think it’s safe to say that I am very drunk and very tired and I have a _very_ early start in the morning. So, I’m going to head to bed.”

Albus downed the rest of his drink and held out a hand for Scorpius to help him up.

“I’ll come with you. Mum would kill me if I slept in and missed the train.”

Scorpius yanked him up hard, causing Albus to stumble into him, but he caught him around the waist and steadied him.

“Whoops, I must be stronger than I thought,” Scorpius said, alcohol causing him to laugh louder and longer than the situation really called for.

Albus snorted and shook his head fondly.

“Come on you, it’s definitely bed time.”

He slung his arm around Scorpius’ shoulders and led him towards their shared dormitory.

“You know, Albus,” Scorpius began, tightening his grip on Albus’ waist. “I think this is going to be the best Christmas holidays I’ve had in a long time.”

Albus knew that Scorpius meant the best Christmas holidays since his mum had passed away and his chest ached thinking of how hard Christmas must be for his friend with such an integral part of his family gone.

“Yeah,” Albus nodded, struggling to concentrate on walking and talking at the same time. “I can’t believe you’re going to be coming to stay from boxing day all the way to New Year’s. Do you reckon your dad will actually come and stay at ours over New Year’s?”

“Well, he says he’s going to…” replied Scorpius doubtfully. “But you know what our dads are like, one minute they’re almost friends, then the next they’re duelling each other like they’re back in school. So, who knows if he’ll last until New Year’s Day.”

“That’s true,” Albus chuckled. “I think they’ll be ok though. I think they like each other deep down now but they just get under each other’s skin. It’s their thing; I don’t think they’re really angry when they fight, I think it’s fun for them… Like some weird sport or something. Plus, my mum’s really scary so she’d put them in their place if they started.”

Scorpius grinned and replied, “Yeah, she definitely would.” Then more seriously he said, “I hope so anyway, I don’t want my dad to be alone over New Year’s, it’s hard enough for him without my mum.”

Albus gripped Scorpius’ shoulder reassuringly, “It’ll be fine, it’s going to be fun.”

It took them longer than usual but they finally made it to their dormitory. Their roommates had yet to call it a night so the room was empty when they stumbled in. Albus tossed himself down onto Scorpius’ bed because it was closest to the door and didn’t bat an eyelid when his best friend flopped down next to him. He simply put out his arm so that Scorpius could lie in the crook.

Albus knew that he and Scorpius were a lot more tactile with each other than all the other boys were with each other, and somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that it was unusual that a simple touch from Scorpius could brighten his mood completely. However, he had always just put it down to the fact that they only had each other _. Of course_ being bullied and feeling ostracized would lead them to forming a closer bond than most other boys. Albus didn’t let himself dwell on the fact that even after five years of being best friends he still wanted to be around Scorpius constantly. They were just very lucky to have found such an amazing friendship in each other, he told himself over an over like a mantra.

Up until that night it had worked just fine for them; Albus had pretty much convinced himself that there was nothing truly out of the ordinary about his friendship with Scorpius. He had not been expecting that to completely blow up in his face so suddenly. 

“I’m so glad to have you in my life, Scorpius,” Albus had said, speaking honestly.

“Me too,” Scorpius replied. “I never even imagined that I would have this closeness with someone when I got on the Hogwarts Express for the first time. Thank Merlin, I took my mum’s advice about using sweets to make friends or I’d probably be wandering about the school alone like a right weirdo.”

“I’d have stayed in that compartment with you even without the sweets,” Albus told him earnestly.

They lay there quietly for the next few moments until Scorpius huffed and propped himself up on his elbow, a look of deep determination in his eyes.

“Dad’s always telling me that if I want something I have to just go for it, and usually I always think that’s easier said than done,” Scorpius rambled, his words tumbling from his mouth almost too quickly. “But he’s right, I’m fed up of not doing what I want to do.”

Before Albus had the chance to ask him to elaborate, Scorpius had closed the distance between them and pressed their lips together in a firm kiss.

Albus had been struck by how _right_ it felt. It felt as though he had been holding his breath for his entire life without realising it and the feel of Scorpius’ lips on his was like taking his first gasping breath. His hands, seemingly of their own accord, tangled in Scorpius’ soft blond hair as he tried to bring him closer.

It was the little noise of contentment that Scorpius made that brought Albus back to his senses and he felt the weight of what was happening begin to crush him.

He pushed at Scorpius’ chest as panic began to set in. Their friendship had a line and he knew that they had just sprinted right across it - there would be no going back.

“Albus?” Scorpius asked, moving back to kneel next to him. He reached out to touch his arm. “Are you ok?”

The tender quality that had seeped into Scorpius’ voice made Albus want to howl out into the air. Part of him wanted to grab Scorpius and kiss the worried look off his face while the other part of him wanted to run. He felt like he was being torn apart by the conflicting feelings.

“Get the fuck off me, Scorpius!” Albus snarled, the panic rising aggressively in his chest making him lash out. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Scorpius moved to stand next to the bed looking confused, hurt and angry. If there was ever a memory that Albus would want to erase, that would be it; he wanted to rid his mind of that look forever.

“Albus, don’t you dare, don’t you DARE!” Scorpius’ said his voice rising with his emotions. “Don’t you tell me you didn’t like that, don’t make me feel crazy!”

Albus tried to say that he had not enjoyed the kiss but he couldn’t get the words out, he inwardly cursed himself for his inability to lie to Scorpius.

“I’m not _gay_ , Scorpius,” Albus insisted, and it wasn’t a lie. At least he didn’t think it was… He had never fancied a boy before, had he?

“Ughhh!” Scorpius groaned, flinging his arms up in frustration. “Maybe not, but you can’t pretend that there’s nothing but friendship between us! Have you seen any other ‘ _bros_ ’ acting the way we do?”

Albus spluttered, trying to think of something to say to counter Scorpius’ argument.

“Let’s just give up this act, Albus,” Scorpius pleaded, his voice growing soft again. “We’ve been doing this for too long.”

Albus’ mouth was moving before he could truly think the words through.

“I’m not acting, Scorpius. I don’t have those feelings for you. You’ve made this whole thing up in your head.”

Scorpius stared at Albus incredulously, “You are such a- such a prick! Do you know that, Albus?”

Scorpius didn’t wait for Albus to reply before telling him to get out of his bed. When he didn’t move immediately, Scorpius shoved him hard.

“Move! If I’m so crazy you can get into your own bloody bed and stop crawling into mine at every opportunity!”

Albus’ face flushed hot at Scorpius’ comments. He scrambled out of the bed and stared on dumbly as Scorpius climbed in and roughly pulled the curtains around him. He stared at the closed drapes for a few long moments, wrestling with his thoughts before crawling into his own bed, suddenly feeling very cold.

*

In the morning, after a short and fitful sleep, Albus woke early and got ready quickly and quietly before sneaking out of the dorm room. He knew he was being stupid and hurtful, and he did not even want to think about how he must have been making Scorpius feel, but he just couldn’t face him yet. What could he say to him? How could he look at him in the harsh daylight and lie about his feelings?

He stared miserably through the window in the compartment door as more and more students filled the train. His stomach tangled itself up in knots, in a way that had nothing to do with the firewhiskey he’d drank the night before, when he saw Scorpius walk by. His head was hanging low and he looked anxious and unhappy in a way that Albus had not seen him look in a long time. He noted the dark circles under Scorpius’ eyes which gave away the fact that he had probably slept about as well as Albus had and Albus felt sick when he realised that it meant Scorpius had probably been awake to hear him creep out of the dormitory earlier. A pang of guilt and longing hit Albus as he watched Scorpius’ eyes move to look into each compartment because he knew that he was looking for him. Even after how out of order Albus had behaved, Scorpius was still looking for him. Maybe if he wasn’t such a coward, he berated himself, he would have just taken the cloak off and slipped out to get his best friend and make things right but instead, he stayed where he was and prayed that the journey would end quickly.

When the train finally reached King’s Cross station Albus crept out of his compartment behind the three annoying first years that he had been sharing with. He pulled the cloak off when he stepped off the train and walked over to his parents quickly, hoping that he wouldn’t be intercepted by Scorpius.

As his parents and aunt and uncle greeted him, his siblings and cousins, Albus was unable to stop his eyes from wandering to find Scorpius. It was as though it was physically impossible for him to ignore the boy. When he found him, Scorpius was throwing his arms around his dad, grabbing onto him tightly. Before he could tear his eyes away, Scorpius’ dad spotted him and unwrapped himself from Scorpius to wave over.

“Ah, there’s Draco,” Harry said, sounding almost pleased. “Let’s go over and sort out the details for New Year.”

Albus’ stomach lurched.

 “There’s no need!” Albus exclaimed, his voice high and desperate. He cleared his throat after seeing the strange looks his family shot at him. “I’ll send Scorpius an owl tomorrow and he can pass on the information. I’m starving, I just want to get home quickly.”

“Don’t be daft,” Ginny reprimanded. “What’s the point in sending an owl when we can speak to Draco face to face to make arrangements? It won’t take a minute, I’m sure you won’t _die_ of starvation.”

Albus opened his mouth to argue, but it was too late. Scorpius’ dad had already walked over with Scorpius trailing behind him. Albus moved to stand behind his brother, who shot him another funny look.

“Malfoy,” Harry greeted pleasantly, clapping his hand down on Draco’s shoulder. “Are you still up for joining in the madness that is a Potter-Weasley New Year’s celebration?”

Draco snorted, “I must be insane, but yes, I’ll be there. We’re looking forward to it, aren’t we Scorpius?”

Scorpius, who had practically hidden himself behind his father, popped his head out and said quietly, “Yeah, so much. Thanks for inviting us.”

The adults shared a quick look, concerned by Scorpius’ unusual subduedness.

“Not a problem,” Ginny replied warmly. “So, Scorpius, you just come through whenever you’re ready on Boxing Day. We’ll have the spare bed all set up in Albus’ room for you, and Draco if you come by on New Year’s Eve at about four in the afternoon, and we’ll have dinner at around five. Does that suit?”  


Albus stared down at his shoes as the adults finished making plans and said their goodbyes, not daring to look up and catch Scorpius’ eye.

As they walked back to the car, James grabbed Albus’ arm and said quietly, “What the hell was that all about?”

Albus felt his face go hot and his stomach churned.

“What do you mean?”

James rolled his eyes, “You know what I mean. You and your boyfriend didn’t even say bye to each other when usually you’d be hanging all over each other like you’ll never see each other again.”  
  
“Oh, shut up, James. And he’s _not_ my _boyfriend,_ ” snapped Albus before speeding up to walk beside his dad.

*

Scorpius made it all the way back to Malfoy Manor before bursting into tears. He had been on the verge of crying all day but it was bumping his head on the fireplace as he stepped out of it that finally set him off. When the tears started coming he couldn’t stop them, all he could do was stand in the middle of the lounge and sob. He barely even noticed his dad appearing in the fireplace a few moments later.

“Scorpius,” said Draco, his voice laced with shock and concern as crossed the living room in quick strides.

Scorpius began to sob even harder when he felt his dad wrap him up in a tight hug. He buried his face in his chest and just cried as his dad stroked his back and made gentle shushing noises to soothe him.

They stayed like that for almost ten minutes before Scorpius’ tears began to slow and his sobs turned to soft hiccups and snuffles. He pulled back and wiped his eyes on the sleeves of his cloak and let out a watery laugh.

“Oh, dear… I’ve got snot all over your good jacket.”

Draco shook his head, exasperated.

 “I don’t care about my _jacke_ t, Scorpius - it’s nothing a quick scourgify won’t take care of. What I care about is knowing why I’ve just found you bawling in the middle of our living room. Although, my educated guess is that it’s something to do with Albus if the utter oddness at the station is anything to go by.”

Scorpius sighed heavily, “I will tell you, dad, but can we go get something to eat first? And a drink of water? I have a dehydration headache from all that blubbering.”  
  
“Dehydration, eh?” Draco asked mockingly. “Nothing to do with the stench of whiskey I can smell on you?”

Scorpius blushed and ducked his head and spluttered, “I- well, you see-”  
  
Draco swatted Scorpius over the head playfully.

“Don’t hurt your head any more trying to think up a ridiculous excuse. I do still remember what it was like in the Slytherin common room at this time of year, you know.”

*

“So,” Draco began once they were settled in the dining room with sandwiches and drinks. “Are you going to tell me what has gone on?”

Scorpius chose that moment to take a long sip of his drink to bide some time for himself. He _wanted_ to tell his dad everything and get his advice on the whole situation, but it wasn’t that simple. His dad had no idea that he was gay… Well, Scorpius wasn’t all that sure himself that he was gay. All he knew for certain was that he liked Albus. He was sure that his dad wouldn’t care, and since he had realised his feelings for Albus, he had never spent time worrying about what his dad would think.

His dad had married his mum for love even though his grandfather had forbidden it, so he couldn’t see him being angry at Scorpius for being honest about who _he_ loved. But, it is awkward talking about your romantic feelings with a parent, and talking about your sexuality with your parents brings attention to the fact that you _have_ a sexuality and who wants to go down that road with their dad? The thought made Scorpius squirm a little. His relationship with his dad had come on leaps and bounds in the past year, but Scorpius was unsure if this subject would be too much.

“For Merlin’s sake, Scorpius. Put that cup down and get on with it,” Draco admonished.

Knowing that he could not put it off any longer, Scorpius took a deep breath and then told his dad everything. He told him about how when he thought back on things it was obvious that he had always loved Albus as more than as a friend, and that he had been so sure his feelings were reciprocated. He told him about the previous night and how horrible Albus had been, and about how terrified he was that Albus wouldn’t be his friend anymore.

“I’m so embarrassed, dad,” he almost whimpered.

“Well,” said Draco, leaning back in his chair. “Honestly, I can’t sit here and act like I’m surprised. In fact, Potter and I have had a bet going about when the two of you would come to your senses and realise what everyone else with a pair of eyes in their skull already knows.”

Scorpius choked on the glass of juice he had just swallowed, and dribbled most of it down his chin.

“You- What?! You and Albus’ dad have been betting on when we would realise we fancy each other?!” Scorpius screeched, incredulously.

Draco shrugged.

“Yes. _And_? What’s the harm in a friendly wager? Although, Scorpius I am quite disappointed because I guessed it would be next year but Potter said it would be sooner. So, you’ve lost me twenty galleons.”

“Oh well, I’m very sorry!” Scorpius replied sarcastically, his eyes still wide with shock.

“You should be,” Draco scolded. “You can’t even imagine how smug Harry is going to be.”

Scorpius dropped his head into his hands, he didn’t know whether to laugh or start crying again.

He peaked back up at his dad and asked in a more serious tone, “So, you’re not angry or anything?”

Draco leaned forward and looked at Scorpius seriously.

“No, I’m not angry, of course I’m not. How could I be angry at you for falling in love? It’s the most human thing in this world.”

“Really?” Scorpius asked quietly.

“Really,” Draco replied, nodding firmly. “I know I don’t talk about it enough, but loving your mum changed my life. Not only did it bring me so many happy years and you, it made me a better man. It made me stronger. I felt like I could do anything because I knew I had her support. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to find that kind of love too.”

Scorpius could feel his eyes stinging in response to his dad’s words.

“You and Albus care for each other so fiercely that it’s no surprise your platonic feelings have become something else. I didn’t think it possible when you wrote to me in your first year saying that Albus was your new best friend, but you two are a perfect fit. Obnoxiously so, actually. So, I’m sure you will make an obnoxiously perfect couple too.”

Scorpius couldn’t help but laugh at that. His dad was right; a Potter and a Malfoy being best friends had seemed like the most unlikely thing in the world until Albus had walked into his compartment five years ago.

“But, dad, he says he doesn’t love me back like that.”

Draco rolled his eyes.

“Of course he does, even his own family know it. My guess is that he’s afraid. People can behave in awful ways when they’re scared, I of all people know that.”

“What could he be scared of?” Scorpius asked desperately. “I mean, I can’t see his family caring and people at school already think we’re weirdos so us going out isn’t going to have much impact in school.”

“I assume that he’s scared he’ll lose you,” Draco answered. “That if things don’t work out you two won’t be able to be friends anymore. And if that’s the case, I think his worries are unfounded, I don’t think you two could live without each other if you tried.”

Scorpius smiled at Draco and said, “You know, dad, for an oldie you are actually quite smart.”

“Insolent boy,” Draco scolded, teasingly. “Now, don’t be upset, I’m sure by morning you’ll have received an owl from Albus begging for your forgiveness and pleading with you to still go to his house.”

Scorpius hoped that his dad was right.

*

Although Christmas at the Potter’s was perfect as usual, Albus still felt utterly miserable. The gifts, decorations, and even the food weren’t enough to lift his increasingly dark mood. He was tired and irritable from spending his nights lying awake agonising over Scorpius, and he was finding it difficult to follow conversations with his family. He knew he was beginning to dampen everyone’s good spirits but he couldn’t help it, he felt lost.

He had lost count of the number of times he had picked up a quill to try and write a message for Scorpius saying that he was sorry and that he still wanted him to come and stay over. However, each attempt ended with him crumpling up the letter and casting incendio to get rid of it. It was all very well saying sorry, but Scorpius would want answers - answers that Albus didn’t have.

He knew that he had feelings for Scorpius, the memory of Scorpius’ lips on his running through his mind in a loop had confirmed it. But so what? It didn’t mean they could just throw their friendship down the drain and become boyfriends. Scorpius was his best friend and Albus needed a best friend more than a boyfriend. It would change everything, and Albus didn’t want a single thing to change. He and Scorpius were perfect, or at least they had been before that stupid Christmas party, he thought.

*

It was almost midnight on Christmas night and Harry and Ginny were relaxing on the couch having a well-deserved glass of mulled wine after the mayhem of the day. It had been their turn to host Christmas dinner for the family and although it was amazing to have everyone under one roof on such a special day, it was also utterly exhausting.

“If I don’t see another turkey, it will be too soon,” Harry groaned. “I can’t believe we went through _four_ turkeys. Our family are like a plague of locusts!”

“We could probably cut it down to two next year if we get rid of Ron,” Ginny giggled.

Harry laughed heartily.

“That’s true. After all these years, I’m still shocked by how much he’s able to put away.”

“It’s been a really nice day,” Ginny said, smiling. “But I’m starting to worry about Albus, he just wasn’t himself today, and he’s barely been out of his room since he came home from school.”

“I know,” Harry agreed. “I’ve been thinking it might have something to do with Scorpius - they were both acting so strange at the station, but I wasn’t sure because it’s so unlike them to fall out.”

Ginny had barely finished suggesting that they wait until the next day to see if Scorpius arrived at their house as planned, when Draco Malfoy’s head appeared in their fireplace.

“Hello, Harry, Ginny,” Draco greeted, as Harry and Ginny both scrambled to sit forward and get a better look at him. “I’m sorry to be interrupting so late on Christmas day but Scorpius has told me he won’t be coming to yours tomorrow, so I thought it best to let you know as soon as possible. He’s worked himself up into a real state over all of this. How is Albus doing?”

“Hold on,” Harry replied trying to work out what Draco was talking about. “He’s in a state about what? What’s happened?”

“Albus has been so out of sorts,” added Ginny. “He’s been holed up in his bedroom since he came home practically, and he barely ate a bite of his Christmas dinner.”

Harry and Ginny sat in surprised silence as Draco filled them in on what had happened between the boys. When he finished, Ginny was the first to speak.

“Well, honestly, I’m not that surprised.”

Harry leaned forward even further to look Draco right in the eye and said smugly, “Looks like you owe me 20 galleons, Malfoy.”

Draco made a rude gesture at Harry in reply which made Ginny scoff and make a comment about them still behaving like silly school boys. They continued to discuss the situation quietly, and both Harry and Ginny mentioned that they were almost certain that Scorpius’ feelings for Albus were reciprocated. Ginny wondered aloud why Albus would push his friend away like he had.

“I think it would be scary to change their relationship after all this time,” said Harry, thoughtfully. “Worth it, I’m sure, but definitely scary.”

All three parents agreed that no matter the outcome, the situation had to be resolved. It wouldn’t be right for such a brilliant friendship to go to waste. Harry volunteered to speak to Albus and promised Draco that he would keep him updated on the situation.

“Remember to tell Scorpius that he’s welcome here anytime if he changes his mind,” Ginny told Draco before they ended their Floo call.

As he lay in bed an hour or so later, Harry struggled to drift off to sleep. His mind was too busy trying to think of how to broach the subject with Albus without making him angry. Their relationship had come such a long way in the past year, he didn’t want to see all that progress go down the drain, but he also knew that this was a discussion he needed to have with Albus whether he liked it or not.

*

The next morning, Harry woke early. He crept out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as quietly as possible, trying his best not to wake Ginny. Once he was ready for the day he headed downstairs and out into the crisp winter air. He had decided that his best bet of luring Albus out of bed and getting him in a good enough mood to talk would be to wake him up to the smell of fresh sausages sizzling. Mentally patting himself on the back for the excellent idea, Harry walked down to the local butchers to pick out the fattest, juiciest sausages he could find.

When everyone but Albus was seated at the kitchen table eagerly awaiting their breakfast, it became clear to Harry that not even sausages were going to draw him out of his room. It must be bad, thought Harry; Albus had never been able to resist a fried breakfast before. He made up a plate for Albus, making sure to cover the sausages in tomato sauce, the way he liked it.

“I’ll take this through to him and have a chat,” Harry said, nodding at the plate of sausages.

Ginny grimaced and wished him luck which Harry was grateful for because he was certain that he would need it.

He knocked softly on Albus’ bedroom door before gently nudging it open. He had expected to find Albus still asleep, or at least pretending to be, but he was just lying on top of his bed sheets staring at the ceiling. He looked miserable, Harry noted.

“Hi, mate,” said Harry tentatively. “I brought you some breakfast.”

He mumbled something about not being hungry as Harry entered the room. Realising his sausage plan had failed spectacularly, Harry set the plate down on Albus’ bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on Albus’ torso.

“Look, Albus,” Harry began. “We had Draco Malfoy in the fireplace last night.”

Harry paused, waiting for Albus’ reaction but there was nothing except the very slight tensing of his body. He went on to tell him that Draco had called to say that Scorpius wouldn’t be coming to their house as planned and that he had told him and Ginny what had happened the night before they left Hogwarts.

“I can tell you don’t want to talk about this, and I won’t force you to, but I just wanted to let you know that your mum and I would be fine with it if you had feelings for Scorpius,” said Harry. “I hope you already knew that, but I just wanted to say it, just in case.”

Albus still didn’t reply but Harry noticed that his jaw was clenched and he was blinking hard, as if trying to get rid of tears.

“And if you don’t have feelings for him, that’s ok too,” Harry continued, getting to his feet. “But I would really hate to see you throw away such a special friendship over it. You two need each other.”

Before he left the room, Harry reminded Albus that if he changed him mind about talking, he would be around to listen. He pressed his ear to the closed door and was aure that he could hear Albus’ muffled sobs.

*

The hours passed by agonisingly slowly that day for Albus. He had tried to read a book, play with one of the new games he had received for Christmas, he had even tried to just go back to sleep, but his mind was too full of thoughts of the fun he and Scorpius should have been having to concentrate or shut off. His insides felt as though they had been tangled up into tight knots, he could barely lie still for five minutes because of it.

He dug through his drawers, throwing everything in them onto his bedroom floor until he found what he was looking for. It was a small, brown, leather photo album that Scorpius had given him for Christmas the previous year. It was filled with photos of his family and had four entire pages full of pictures of just the two of them. He watched as their happier past selves wrapped their arms around each other’s shoulders and grinned at the camera. He had a physical pain in his chest.

Albus put the album away and left his room for the first time in hours. He found his dad sitting in the living room watching and old Christmas movie on their muggle television set.

“Where is everyone?” He asked sitting down on the couch next to his dad.

“Your mum took you brother and sister over to your gran and grandad’s. Aunt Hermione and uncle Ron are there with Hugo and Rose,” he replied. “How are you feeling?”

Albus paused for a moment, wondering if he should lie to put his dad’s mind at ease, but he didn’t think he had the energy in him to pretend.

“Rubbish,” he answered truthfully. “I was so nasty to him.”

His dad paused the television and turned to face him properly, fixing him with a steady and sincere gaze.

“He’ll forgive you,” he said. “If you apologise and tell him what made you act the way you did he’ll forgive you. Draco said he’s been a mess since he came home.”

Albus put his head in his hands and groaned at the thought of Scorpius being so upset because of him.

“I do have feelings for him,” Albus said quietly, not making eye contact with his dad.

Harry set a comforting hand down on his shoulder and replied simply, “I know you do, son.”

“Is it that obvious?” Albus replied, his face heating with embarrassment.

His dad only chuckled and nodded, “Love usually is.”

Albus’ voice was serious when he spoke next, “I’m scared, dad. He’s my only friend that’s not a member of my family, and he’s just as important to me as you all are. What if acting on the way I feel ruins all that? I can’t not have in my life.”

Harry nodded sympathetically.

“That’s understandable,” he said. “I remember how scared your aunt and uncle were when they first got together because they had been such good friends before. Changing their relationship was a massive risk to take, but look at them now – they’re still absolutely mad for each other. It was a risk worth taking, and not to sound too much like a soppy romantic, but I think love is always worth the risk.”

“God you’re a sap,” Albus teased, rolling his eyes.

Harry laughed heartily.

“But dad,” Albus continued. “Seriously, what if it doesn’t work? What if we don’t _really_ love each other like that? What if we’re just friends and we fancy each other a bit so we’ve gotten confused.”

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.

“I think that’s all romantic love is really; it’s loving someone as a friend with the extra bonus of fancying them. It’s human nature to overthink and complicate it, but at the end of the day it’s just finding someone who you like enough to hang around with forever and I think you and Scorpius fit that description quite well. Don’t you?”

His dad’s words made something slot into place for Albus, and he knew that he had to make things right with Scorpius immediately. He couldn’t bear the thought of him sitting at home alone thinking Albus didn’t want him because he did – he knew now that he wanted him more than anything.

*

Forty-five minutes later, Albus was showered, dressed, and pacing in front of the fireplace.

“What should I say to him?” He asked his dad, wiping his sweaty palms roughly on his trousers.

“Whatever you feel,” Harry replied, with a shrug. “I can’t tell you what to say. You made a right mess of things before you left Hogwarts, the only way you can fix it is by being honest.”

Albus’ dad tapped him gently on the chest, right over his pounding heart and said, “Whatever you say will be fine as long as it comes from in there.”

Albus took a deep, shaky, breath and nodded. He picked up a handful of Floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace before stepping into the green flames.

“Malfoy Manor,” he said clearly.

 The last thing Albus saw before he spun into the darkness was his dad’s face, filled with pride.

He stumbled out of the fireplace and into the living room in Malfoy Manor and was startled to be faced with Draco Malfoy sitting on the couch. He began to apologise about bursting into his lounge uninvited, but he was interrupted.

“I was wondering when you would turn up,” Draco drawled, the faint hint of a smirk on his lips. “I sincerely hope that you’re here to wipe the miserable look off of Scorpius’ face; I’m not sure how much longer I can cope with his moping.”

Albus looked down at his shoes feeling awkward and guilty.  
  
“I’m sorry, Mr. Malfoy,” Albus said, his voice almost pleading. “I-I didn’t mean to upset him; I would never want him to be hurt it’s just-”

Draco raised a hand to stop Albus’ babbling.

“You don’t need to explain to me. You have been the best friend that I could have ever hoped Scorpius to meet, and I know that everyone makes mistakes. So, on this occasion, I suppose I can let it slide.”

“Thanks, Mr. Malfoy,” Albus replied, a bit sheepishly. “Where is he?”

“He was in his bedroom the last time I saw him.”

Albus nodded and turned to leave the room but was stopped by Scorpius’ dad’s voice.

“And can you stop calling me Mr. Malfoy? It’s far too formal. I even let your _dad_ call me by my first name nowadays, and I hate his guts,” Draco remarked, playfully.  
  
“Ok, _Draco_ ,” Albus grinned. “By the way, you and my dad are fooling no one – everyone knows you two are mates now.” 

*

Albus walked up the stairs to Scorpius’ room, his heart pounding in his ears. He was terrified – terrified of seeing Scorpius upset, of being rejected, of everything changing. What if Scorpius had realised that he was not as great as he had thought before? What if he had changed his mind about liking him? What if he didn’t even want to be friends anymore? What if, what if, what if?

He reached Scorpius’ bedroom and just stood outside the closed door, trying to think of the right thing to say. His brain had gone blank suddenly. How would he greet Scorpius? Hello seemed a bit weak after how atrociously he had behaved towards him. He considered just bursting through the door and shouting ‘I’m sorry!’ but decided against it, thinking that Scorpius might get a fright and hex him. Knowing that he couldn’t put it off any longer, Albus took a deep breath and braced himself before knocking softly on the door. When there was no reply he pushed the door open and peaked into the room.

He needn’t have worried about how to greet Scorpius, because when Albus entered the room he found his friend fast asleep. Albus stood in the doorway and took in the sight of Scorpius lying on top of his crisp white bed sheets, covered in a blue blanket. A little pile of balled up hankies were lying at the side of his pillow, and Albus winced when he realised that it meant Scorpius had probably been crying before he fell asleep. Although he was filled with a guilt unlike any he had ever known, Albus did not feel afraid anymore. The mere sight of Scorpius had calmed and reassured him.

 _This is right_ , Albus thought as he crept over to Scorpius’ bed. _There is the boy I love more than I’ve ever loved anyone. God he’s beautiful._

Albus crawled carefully onto Scorpius’ bed and moved to lie down so that he was lying next to Scorpius, their faces just inches apart. Albus lay silently for a moment, savouring the closeness and listening to Scorpius’ soft breathing. He raised his hand and as gently as he could manage, began to stroke Scorpius’ cheek.

“Scorpius,” he said quietly, so as not to startle him awake.

Sleepy blue eyes blinked open and it seemed to take Scorpius a moment to truly wake up because it took longer than Albus expected for Scorpius’ eyes to widen in shock. Before he could jolt upright, Albus reached out and held onto Scorpius forearm.

“Don’t get up, please,” Albus said.

“What are you doing here, Albus?” Scorpius asked, his voice uncertain and wary.

Albus hesitated for a moment, trying to think of the right thing to say. His thoughts were all completely jumbled; all he could think of clearly was his dad telling him to just speak honestly. So, that is what he did.

“I am _so_ sorry, Scorpius,” he began sincerely. “I love you so much and I’m so sorry that I hurt you.”

Scorpius swallowed hard before replying, “I love you so much too, and I’m really sorry that I made you uncomfortable for assuming you love me in a different way than you do. It was stupid, stupid old me I should have known because my mum always said to assume makes an-”

“No,” Albus said firmly, stopping him mid speech.

He took a deep breath before speaking again, knowing that his next words would change everything.

“Scorpius, I love you in every way you can love a person; I care for you like a best friend, I’m protective over you like family and I love you _romantically_ too.”

Scorpius, whose eyes were wide and his cheeks flushed seemed to be struggling to find something to say.

“I- You- _Albus_ ,” he stammered. “Please don’t say that if you don’t mean it, or if you don’t really believe it.”

Albus scooted even closer to Scorpius so that their noses were almost touching. He tightened the hold that he had on Scorpius’ arm.

“I mean it, I promise. I know I acted like a right prat that night but I got scared, and I acted like a coward,” Albus admitted. “I’ve loved you from the minute I saw you, I’m just sorry that it took my brain longer to catch up with my feelings.”

Scorpius remained silent but Albus noticed how quick his breathing had become and the slight glassiness to his eyes.

“You’re my person, Scorpius,” Albus said simply, his throat feeling a bit tight with emotion.

Scorpius grinned at that and Albus’ heart fluttered. He had missed that smile.

“You’re my person, too,” Scorpius replied. “Even though you are a bit of an idiot sometimes.”

“That’s an understatement,” Albus said, unable to conceal his own grin.

They stayed like that – nose to nose, unable to wipe the smiles off their faces – for a few long moments, before Albus broke the silence.

“So…” he began, a little uncertainly. “What now? Where do we go from here? Do you still-”

“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” Scorpius exclaimed, before crashing his lips against Albus’.

A little oomph noise escaped Albus from the force of the kiss but this time there was no fear and no doubt. He wrapped an arm around Scorpius’ back and pulled him close, so that there was no space between them anymore. It was a clumsy kiss; they bumped teeth more than once, but it was perfect, Albus thought. It was with Scorpius so it was perfect.

When they pulled apart they were breathless and giggling.

“Hopefully this means that our wager about who will get a girlfriend first is off,” Scorpius joked.

Albus chuckled, “Yeah, I think it’s safe to say we’ve both lost that bet pretty spectacularly.”

Scorpius shrugged and blushed,” I feel like I’ve won something better.”

“Me too,” Albus answered before leaning in to kiss Scorpius again.

*

The rest of the week passed by in a happy blur. Scorpius had gone back to stay with Albus on Boxing Day as planned and they spent the days playing with the things Albus had received for Christmas and playing in the snow.

“So, are you two _boyfriends_ now?” James asked one morning, as he entered the dining room to find the boys playing wizard chess at the table.

Lily, who had been watching and critiquing their game shot a dirty look at her older brother.

“Leave them alone, James.”

Albus glanced across the table to find that Scorpius looked tense and uncomfortable.

“Yes, we are,” Albus told James, as he moved one of his pawns. “Have you got a problem with that?”

Scorpius’ body relaxed, clearly relieved that Albus was not denying what was going on between the two of them.

“Nope,” James answered simply. “Makes no difference to me, you were both obnoxiously lovey-dovey with each other as just friends, I can’t see it getting any worse.”

“I always thought you were sweet together,” Lily commented. “Oh, _Scorpius_ , you could have taken his knight there, silly!”

Before they knew it, New Year’s Eve had crept up on them almost without warning. Harry and Ginny had been up from the crack of dawn preparing the house for the party they were holding that evening. The house looked beautiful and cosy and the smell of the dinner that Harry was preparing was beginning to fill the whole house.

Albus and Scorpius were setting the dining room table when they heard Draco Malfoy’s voice from the living room.

“Hi, dad!” Scorpius greeted, as he entered the live room.

Draco who was in the middle of handing Albus’ mum an expensive looking bottle of champagne turned and flashed his son a smile.

“Hi, son. How are you?”

Albus watched on fondly as Scorpius launched into a long ramble about all of the fun they had been having (Albus was glad he didn’t mention the copious amount of snogging they’d been doing).

“You let _Ron Weasley_ beat you at chess?” Draco asked, feigning mock outrage. “Of all the things our family has done, that is by far the most shameful of them all.”

That drew a laugh from everyone in the room.

“You know, Malfoy,” Ron began. “He actually wasn’t too bad… You probably don’t know this but I’m almost unbeatable at wizard’s chess.”

The rest of the group made noises of agreement.

They ate a fabulous steak pie dinner and Albus’ dad ducked his head in embarrassment when everyone praised his cooking, but Albus could tell that he was secretly pleased. Albus and Scorpius were both happy and relieved to see that Scorpius’ dad seemed to be getting along fine with everyone. Even Albus’ grandad and uncle Ron seemed to be on their best behaviour. However, Albus suspected that his mum and aunt Hermione may have had a word with them both.

Albus could barely believe how much happier he felt compared to how he had been on Christmas Day. Everything in the world felt right; his family were all around him talking and laughing, and Scorpius was right by his side. How could things be any more perfect than they were in that moment? 

The rest of the night was just as idyllic . Everyone was sat in the Potter’s living room, all on mismatched chairs because there were far too many of them to sit on the sofa. The adults were getting more drunk as the night progressed, but thankfully it was the good kind of drunk where everything is funny and you love everyone around you.

At one point, Ron came back from the kitchen, clutching two beers, to find Draco spinning his mum around the living room in a smooth dance routine as everyone else hooted and cheered.

“Oi, Malfoy! You put my mother down!” shouted Ron, in faux-rage, but he was unable to stop himself from dissolving into a fit of laughter at the sight.

It wasn’t long before Ginny was herding everybody out into the back garden telling them all there were only ten minutes to go before New Year’s.

They all huddled outside, standing close to each other for warmth as Albus’ uncle George set up the fireworks he had brought with him.

“I can’t believe that’s another year done,” Scorpius commented, slipping his gloved hand into Albus’.

“Me neither,” Albus agreed. “I’m not sad though, I think this next one is going to be a good one.”

“Alright, everyone!” George Weasley called. “It’s countdown time. TEN!”

They all counted down to the New Year together, chanting the numbers loudly. When midnight struck, the firework’s exploded into the sky showering them in colour. Without hesitating or worrying about his family seeing Albus turned to Scorpius, who was already looking at him expectantly, and pulled him into a kiss.

It was their first New Year’s kiss and they were both certain it would not be their last.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! 
> 
> My tumblr username is sccrbus and I would love it if you followed me. Also, I'm always happy to take prompts so if you have any leave them in my ask box!


End file.
